Cethosia cydippe

Cethosia Cydippe ssp. chrysippe

Cethosia Cydippe ( Red Lacewing ) is a tropical butterfly from the genus Cethosia of the family Nymphalidae ( Nymphalidae ).

Features

The wings of the butterflies have a wingspan of about eight centimeters. They are black on the outside and black and colored bright red toward the upper side brown body. Before the wing tips of the forewings runs a white ribbon. The underside of the forewing similar to the upside. The underside of the hindwing is brown at the base, orange - red with a drawing of elongated weißrandigen black spots. In the Postdiskalregion a band of dark spots with bright border runs.

The full-grown caterpillars are black with yellow cross stripe and black spines.

Dissemination

Cethosia Cydippe comes on the northern Gulf of Carpentaria and on the northeast coast of New Guinea before, the Indonesian islands of Aru, Kei, the Moluccas and in Queensland (Australia).

According to the large distribution area, there are numerous subspecies, of which the subspecies in Australia Cethosia Cydippe ssp. chrysippe (synonym Cethosia chrysippe ) occurs.

Way of life

The caterpillars feed on Adenia heterophylla and species of the genus Hollrungia from the family of the passion flower plants ( Passifloraceae ).